Homegrown H-E-B long has dominated the local grocery scene, with 45 stores in San Antonio and a low-price strategy that has driven other major competitors from the market.

But global giant Walmart decided to focus on San Antonio six years ago in its quest to gain more of the market in Texas, where the chain already has more stores than in any other state, including 29 in the Alamo City.

The result: one of the biggest grocery wars in the country, with the rivals seeking to grab favorable store locations and price-checking thousands of items every week in each other’s stores in an effort to win the low-price battle.

And while surveys show H-E-B remains the local favorite, the competition is reversed in northern Mexico, where Walmart dominates with more stores and an e-commerce strategy that is far ahead of H-E-B.